Radiator air-valve.



G. D. HOFFMAN.

RADIATOR AIR VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25 1914.

1,13%,m Patented Mar.16,1915.

. steam water and steam,

4 GEORGE ID. HOFFMAN," OF PASADENA,.CALIFORNI A, ASSIGNOR T HOFFMAN SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF"BOSTO1\T, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF"MASSAOHUSETTS.

mnrn rolt aIi'evALvE,

meaoio:

TO'aZZfwhOm it may concern: Be itknown that I, GEORGE 1).H0FFMAN,

a citizen of the United States, and resident l of Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles mg lils a specification.

is invention relates to valves permitthe. escape of cold airdisplaced in radiators by steam pressure, and closmgautomatically to prevent the escape of ting;

provided with a siphonic draining stem ensame; Fig. 3

the same tering the radiator. The invention has for its. .objectto provide improved means for connecting the stem with the casing, and at time forming. a. space for the admission of air from the radiator into the valve casing."

- ,Tlhe invention consists in the improvements which I will'now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure .1 represents a. side elevation of an air valve.

embodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents an. enlarged longitudinal section. of the 3+3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 represents in perspective the draining stem hereinafter referred to, and the other parts which cooperate with said stem and with the casing and its nipple in forming the independent conduits hereinafter described for air and water said parts being disconnected; Fig. 5

vrepresents a side view of a portion of the draining stem and a sectional view of the flexible seat with which said stem is loosely connected; Fig. 6 represents a sectional .view illustrating the operation of inserting the draining stem; Fig. 7 represents a fragmentary sectional view, showing a modification; Fig. 8 represents .a side view of the part :called the seat member, showing the lower edge ofsaid memberslightly curved. The same reference charactersindicate the sameparts in all the figures. I The "casing .of my improved air valve is an upper member, said members detachably connected;v The .base member comprises a bottom '13 and a circular-wall 14 rising from the 1: bottom and internally screw-threaded.

represents a section on line.

I Specification of Lettersratent.

theb

I center of thebottom 13, which is substanthe valve casing being" Patentedlvlfar. 116, 19115.

Application filed May 25,1914. Serial N 0.. 840,765.?

at 15 to engageanexternal thread on the. upper casing member 16. To the wall 14 of ase member is attached a-screw-thread-. ed nipple 17 adapted to engage a .tapped ori-I fice in a steamradiator.

19 represents a float which'is provided at its upper end withan acting valve member 19 adapted to-close an. air vent 16 in the contracted ordomed upper end of the easing member 16, and at its lower end with. a flexible diaphragm 19 bearing on the raised.

tially conical. The diaphragm is adapted tobe 'flexed downwardly by the expansion of a volatile liquid such as alcohol contained in the hermetically sealed float, thus raising the float and closing"v the valve member 19, such expansion being caused by the entrance of steam into the casing. The float is also adapted to be raised to close the valve member, by an accumulationof water on the bottom ofthe casing.

23 represents a curved tubular draining.

stem formed to extend through the nipple '17 into the radiator and to projectdownwardlyfrom-the nipple as shown, said stem annular countersunk seat- 26 surrounding 90 sald strip forming one slde of said orifice, an air space 22, communicating with the bore of the nipplej17, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3;

The draining stem 23 passes loosely through the OIIfiCG- in the seat member 25 and has a flange 27 at its inner end formed to fit the seat 26.

en the members of the casing are separated,.tlre stem 23 and seat member'25, assembled as indicated by Fig. 5, may be introduced together'into the casing member 14, the curvature. of the stem being 5 such. that the stem is adapted to be inserted in" the nipple 17 while turned "upside down, as shown by Fig; 6, thestem. being moved "in the direction indicated by the arrow until its flange 27 bears on the seat 26, and then v turned to the position shown by Figs. 1

and 2. The seat member 25 may be then confined by a curb 20-f0rmed by a resilient strip of metal having a straight central portion containing an orifice 21, and curved portions having overlapping ends and forming collectively a segmental expansible curb portion which is pressed outwardly against the wall of the casing member 14 by the resilience of the strip, the straight portion of the strip being formed to bear on the straight portion of the seat member 25. The orifice 21 in the curb coincides with the passage in the stem 23 and its diameter is less than that of the'flange 27, so that the curb presses the flange against the seat 26,- and maintains a practically airand liquidtight connection between the flange and seat. The normal diameter of the curb 20 is such that it has to be compressed before en'- tering the casing member 14:. The previously inserted seat member indicates the proper location of the curb to cause its orifice 21 to coincide with the stem 23. The effort of the compressed curb to expand when inserted in the casing member 1'4: caus'es'a close frictional engagement of the curb with the casing member, so thatwhen the curb has been pressed down to place I its lower edge is maintained in close contact with thebottom 13.

I The effort of the curb to expand also presses its straight central portion against the stem flange 27 It will nowbe seen that the seat member 25, the stem 23, and the base member 14:, may be conveniently assembled and that the seat member and. stem ma then be conveniently secured to or con ed in the'base member.

The general operation of the valve is the same as in other valves, of this class. The float is adapted to be raised and causedto close the a1r vent by f-water entering the float chamber through the stem 23- when the water is under steam pressure and before it regains its equilibrium. The deflection of the diaphragm 19", which takes place when steam reaches the casing,- lifts the float and closes the air vent.

The detachable frictionally secured seait member and the draining stem 23 separably engaged therewith constitute a simple and efi'ective means for subdividing the interior of the casing member 14 and nipple 17 into independent conduits or passages for water and 'air.

I do not limit myself to a construction in which the flange 27 of the draining stem is clamped between the curb. and aseat' behind. it. p I r The seat member 25 may be omitted and the flange 27 seated on the inner surface of the straight portion of the curb, which constitutes an equivalent seat member, as shown by Fig. 7, the flange being soldered or otherwise secured to the curb if desired, I

in which case the draining stem should be made in two parts, one adapted to turn on while the valve is being revolved to screw the nipple 17 into theradiator.

I prefer the construction which includes the seat member 26, because this construction enables the draining stem to be made in one piece, the seat 26 being rotatable relatively to the flange 27.

It is obvious that thestrip of which the.

-curb is made may be considerably wider than here shown to increase the height of the curb and that the lower edges of the straight-portions of the curb and seat member may be sllghtly curved to enable them to accupately fit the convex curvature of the portion of the bottom "13 on which they bear. Thls'curvature'is shown, between the points a2a: (Fig. 8), which is a view of the inner s1de of the seat inember'25. The

lower edge of the straight portion of the curb maybe similarly curved.

Having described my mvention, Iclaim:

1. An air valve comprising acasing composed of separable upper and lower .mem-

bers, a radiator-engaging'nipple attached to the lower member, a seat member having end portions bearing on. the wall of the 130 lower casing member and-an intermediate portion provided with an orifice and separated from-saidwall by an air spacewhich communicates with the nipple, and 'a curved draining stem. engaged with said seat mem- 1 ber and extending therefrom through the air space and nipple, the said seat member and stem being insertible together in the lower casingi member.

2. An air valve comprising a-casing com- 11 posed of separableupper and lower mem bers, a radiator-engaging nipple attached to the lower member, an expansible curb bearing on the bottom of the lower member and having resilient curved portions bearing y'ieldingly on the wall of said member, and an intermediate seat portion provided with an orifice and separated from said wall by an air space which communicates with the nipple, and a'curved drains ing stem engaged with the curb and extending therefrom" through the air space and nipple. A I

3. An air valve comprising a casing composed ofseparable upper'and lower'umemhere, a radiator-engaging nipple attached to the lower member, an expansible curb bearing-on the bottom of the lower member and having resilient curved portions bear-' ing yieldingly on the wall of said member,

and an intermediate portion provided with an orifice and separated from said Wall by an air space which communicates with the nipple, a seat member bearing on a portion of the curb and forming one side of said air space and provided with an annular seat surrounding an orifice which coincides with the orifice in the curb, and a curved draining stem having a flange pressed by the curb against said seat.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.v

GEORGE D. HOFFMAN. Witnesses C. '1'. BROWN, P. W. PEZZETTI. 

